Title: Love in Twenty-Four Hours
Rating: PG-13 for some language
Summary: There were just so many reasons for him to leave. But only one for him to stay. It was her. She just didn't know it.

Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto… but a girl can dream.

Prompt 1- what are you so desperate for?

You have one new message recorded at seven thirty-eight, Wednesday, May eighteen: This is Joseph Stinson from Anshen & Allen. Yes, the architecting firm calling to let you know…you got the job! So hop on the next flight to sunny San Francisco and be apart of our family today. We hope to see you in twenty-four hours. Congratulations again, Mr. Uchiha, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity! End of messages. To repeat this message, press one. To delete, press seven. To hear more options, press star… Message skipped. First skipped message. Main menu…

Love

In

Twenty-Four

Hours

"See ya tomorrow, Ms. Haruno!"

Sakura looked up to see a little girl waving her hands enthusiastically at her from the pediatrics wing of the hospital. Sakura raised her hand to wave back. It was nice to see Hiyori laughing and smiling for once. She was usually too exhausted to conjure up a hello by the time Sakura met with her during the day to check up on her.

Speaking of check ups… Sakura wondered as she started on her way home. What's Sasuke up to? I haven't seen him in days. He's usually here to walk me home.

The first thing Sasuke Uchiha expected to feel was relief. Finally, all his hard work had paid off! His extensive knowledge in the architecting business would lastly be recognized. However, he was feeling little of that. He was instead feeling grief of what to do, how to proceed with his life. He was going places, moving in the right direction, someone might say. But to say that he was happy with the direction his life was taking was putting it on a bit too strongly. Sasuke was indecisive about how he should be feeling now at such a turn of events. And there was one person that was the cause of all his sadness.

Sakura Haruno.

She just didn't know it.

Sakura found Sasuke sulking under a tall sakura tree in the park.

Laughing as she asked, "Missed me much?" she walked over to the only man she had ever called a boy friend without actually implying he was her boyfriend. It was a weird friendship that most folks around town didn't understand in the slightest.

Sakura Haruno was a beautiful and talented doctor. Admired by most and loved by all. Always going out of her way to help the people around her, Sakura always seemed to be the perfect girl next door.

And Sasuke Uchiha was no slacker, either. A hard working man himself, he devoted himself in creating sturdy art, like the renovations at the hospital, where he had first met Sakura, and had fallen for her ever since.

He gave her his easy-going smile. "Admiring the view," he answered, waving a hand in front of the shimmering pond. Which in fact he had hardly noticed and spent his entire time thinking of her. "How was work?"

"Terrible," Sakura moaned as she sat next to Sasuke, resting her head on his shoulder. He secretly liked the way she felt -all warm and soft. "Nothing to do but paperwork. But oh!" her face suddenly brightened, "I saw Hiyori today. And she was actually up to playing a round of goldfish, too."

"Bet she kicked your ass."

"Well then, you'd most certainly win that bet."

They fell into a comfortable silence until Sakura asked, "Have you gotten a call back from those hotshots in Cali?"

This was what he had been stressing on since he had gotten that message on his answering machine just that morning. "Uh, yeah," he rubbed his neck awkwardly. "I got it."

Another silence. This one wasn't as comfortable.

"Oh," was all she said. "That was fast."

"They expect to see me in twenty-four hours at headquarters."

"Twenty-four hours!" Sakura gasped. "You mean I only have twenty-four hours to say my goodbyes to you?" She suddenly smacked his shoulder. Hard. "You dope! Why didn't you say anything! I could've asked for the day off. Now I only have," she glanced down at her watch, "fourteen hours left!"

Sasuke laughed nervously. "Which is still plenty of time left. You can take a couple hours to rest. You worked an eight to six schedule, Sakura. You need to wind down."

"Don't tell me what to do, Uchiha," Sakura mumbled. "I'll wind down when I feel like winding down, got that?"

Sasuke laughed nervously again. Sakura was always so headstrong and stubborn. One of her many lovely qualities. Then, he suddenly got an idea. "You tired?" he asked, eyeing her carefully for signs of wear and tear.

"Nope," she crossed her arms and looked stubbornly away. Her legs felt like noodles and her arms still shaky from all the paperwork she had to endure. But she wasn't going to admit that to him anytime soon. Especially on his last day.

"Then how about going out to get something to eat. I'm in the mood for French. Et vous?"

Sakura whipped her head sideways to look at him. "I suppose…" However, she was secretly thanking him for not spending their last day together out dancing.

Dinner was soon followed by dessert. Which led to a short walk to an ice cream shop right down the street. Which led to conversation about Sasuke's lack of a sweet tooth.

"I can't believe you don't like ice cream," Sakura mused as if Sasuke had just told her he was actually a virgin.

Sasuke, in turn, shrugged his shoulders lazily. Smirking as he said, "Believe it."

Sakura shook her head. "I just can't. I have never met a person who has never liked sweets before in my life! How long have I known you now, almost a year?"

"Yes. So?"

"So, why don't I just make you?"

Sasuke blinked up at her from drinking his ice water. She wore the smile of an innocent and uncorrupted angel. Sasuke, however, knew it was anything but.

"You're gonna force ice cream down my throat?" He asked incredulously.

Her eyes widened in shock. "Force? Good heavens, no! I don't have to use such tactics to make you willing…"

At this, Sasuke couldn't help but imagine all the wild fantasies that ran through his mind. "Like what?" He managed to voice out. His voice sounding like it was being constricted.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "I could always have you eat it out of my mouth. Maybe that would work."

Sasuke dared not even breath. This was nothing new to him. Sakura, aside from being sweet and mouthwatering, was also bold and dangerous, and the good kind too. She always had the guts to say things that most would never even think of. It fit into her Honesty is the True Policy gig.

"Sasuke?" Sakura asked after a few minutes of silence had gone by.

The only way to handle a situation as complicated as this one was to be just as daring…

…which Sasuke Uhciha wasn't. Or at least wasn't suppose to. There was, however, one other way…

"Sasuke? You okay?" Sakura was really starting to worry about her friend's state of health. He was starring at her as if she had grown a second head. But she knew better. He was probably going into shock from her statement.

She cursed herself inwardly.

But she was also a little offended at Sasuke as well. They have been friends for a year. Well, almost a year, and still he chokes when she starts talking about the malfunctioning vibrators from the old women at the hospital or things that remind her of dicks.

Sasuke burst out laughing, causing a few heads to turn in their direction.

…just go with it and have a great time.

Sakura cracked a smile. "Good. I thought I lost you there for a second. I didn't very much feel like taking you to the hospital on your last day here."

"Oh, really? Looking after my health, are we?"

Her smile widened. "No, not really. The real reason was so that I didn't have to go back to that horrid place after what I had been through today, Sorry."

Sasuke cocked a fine black eyebrow. "And here I thought you cared for all. No, I'm sorry. Stupid mistake. Won't happen again."

She laughed, and Sasuke hid his smile as he took another gulp of his drink. When she had calmed down just enough to speak, she said, "I'm really going to miss you, Sasuke. Promise to visit?"

I'd promise to stay just for you if you'd. just. ask!

"I promise."

The hours slowly dwindled just as the sun began to erase slowly from the sky. But Sasuke was less than ready to face the coming night.

He had yet to tell Sakura how he really felt about her.

The drive to the airport was uncomfortable for him. Enjoyable for her.

Sakura kept the conversation alive for the both of them. She merrily talked about how she'd plan to take a month off from her doctor duties to pay him a visit once he was settled. She even planned on seducing him once he was a hotshot so he would marry her and she wouldn't have to work ever again. Sasuke responded to her thinking with a snort and told her to keep dreaming. She called him unreasonable. He called her a gold-digger.

Their playful banter continued up until they had finally reached the airport. At which point, Sasuke started to feel very unsure. And sweaty.

"Well, here we are. Destination Sasuke's Future. Any second thoughts?" Sakura asked as she turned off the ignition got out of the car. They both made their way to the entrance, walking slowly as if to avoid the coming end.

"Yes, as a matter of fact." It was now or never. "What do you think of coming with me?"

Sakura blinked at him.

"Or, perhaps moving with me to California and starting a new life there. With me. Together."

She still said nothing.

At this point, Sasuke really started to sweat bullets. What was he doing? He wasn't the daring one in their odd relationship. She was! She was the one who was suppose to use words to make him uncomfortable. Not the other way around. But he had already started digging his own grave, he may as well lie in it.

"Sakura, we've known each other for a year-"

"About a year," Sakura corrected. But Sasuke ignored her as he went on:

"-and for all that time, haven't you ever just pictured us together? Like, for real?"

There was a pause on her part. Then, "But I have."

This was not the answer he had been expecting. He immediately stopped walking as she did the same. "You have?"

"Yes. I had a dream about this, actually."

When she didn't immediately elaborate, he said, "And?"

"I killed you; went full-blown Michael Meyers on your ass. Not a pretty scene, lemme tell ya. And then you were reborn into a rabbit. Not a stuffed or a real one. But a plastic one from a sex shop."

Sasuke stared at her unblinking. Sometimes he wanted to wash her mouth out with soap as much as he wanted to kiss it.

"Sakura, I'm serious."

"So am I." The sad part was he new this to be true.

Sasuke shook his head, telling himself to finish what he had started. "Sakura, for once, please be serious. No more playing around. I'm telling you that I love you."

"And I'm the blue princess from Candyland," she said in a bored tone.

"Sakura, I love you."

Still nothing.

"I. Love. You."

"Stop saying that already, alright. It was amusing the first two times around but now it's just annoying," she snapped.

"It's the truth. It's really the way I feel about you."

She was getting agitated now. And deep down, Sasuke felt slightly guilty for putting her in this tough situation. Tough for her, anyway. If it were anyone else, they would love him back. They would cry and laugh and scream words of victory and dance and sing and accept it…

But there was no one else. It was only her. And she was ruining it.

"What are you so desperate for?" Her question was barely above a whisper that if Sasuke were to exhale, he would have missed it.

But he didn't. And so he said, without a moments hesitance, "A future with you."

Yes, he was starting his 'I Love You' declaration speech all over again. And just as he predicted, she was flustered all over again. What he didn't predict, however, was how short-lived her fidgeting lasted. One minute she was raking angry fingers through her already tousled enough hair, and the next, her hands fell to her side, as if in defeat, and she smiled up at him. Not the okay-I-give-in smile. But more like a sad and watery one of her former smile. He did not like this smile on her.

"You don't really believe you're actually in love with me, do you?" she said, and even her voice sounded as watery as the smile she still wore.

"It's love. It's not the Easter Bunny."

"We're just friends."

"I don't believe it."

"It's the truth. It's not Santa Claus."

He was silent for a moment. Then: "What we went through these last couple of hours, there's something between us. Something you feel for me, like I, you, that's more than friendship." He stepped closer to her. Their breaths mingling as one on the cool night air. "Please," he begged. "At the least you can admit it to yourself."

"And if I do? If I were to tell you I feel the same? Tell me, what would be the point? You're leaving, and all of this would have been for nothing."

"No."

"Yes," she countered.

"No, I mean... I'll come back. I just need you to wait for me." He had to fight for her. He had to make her understand why he was doing the thing he was about to do. She had finally admitted to liking him as something potentially more than a friend, he'd be damned if he was going to give up on her now.

Sakura, however, took this the wrong way. "So now that you have me right where you want me you think I'll just waste my life pining after you like a helpless, lovestruck idiot? Tch. I'm leaving." She turned on her heel.

Just as she was halfway to the car, Sasuke shouted, "I just mean that you should wait for me tomorrow morning!"

"Why?" She called over her shoulder, still not looking at him.

"I'm going to tell them I can't take the job."

"And if they ask you why not?"

"Because I finally have a chance with the girl of my dreams."

"That's pathetic! As are you."

"Love does that to people, I hear."

"You'd really leave your job for me?" She questioned, shouting at him due to the passing aircraft above their heads.

"Sakura, there's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

"Not true, but…okay, you won. I'm yours."

Sasuke couldn't believe it. He'd won! But he still needed to play it cool. He said, "Great. Go back home and get some rest."

"Tomorrow morning, right?"

"Yes."

"Don't you think that a phone call would be more appropriate instead of flying over there to tell them no?" She asked as Sasuke turned to walk towards his awaiting plane.

"It's dramatic. They'll have to believe me," he answered over his shoulder.

"All I'm saying is, that with a phone call, we could both be in bed by now…" Sasuke stopped short, slowly turned around to face her and her growing smile, and walked at a brisk pace back to her side. "How about this," he said, already climbing into the car and buckling his seatbelt. "No flying, no phone call. That enough of a hint?"

Her smile grew into an evil smirk. "I second that."